Mechanical movement applicable to cuspidors and the like.



S. FRAGOULIS.

v MECHANICAL MOVEMENT APPLICABLE TO CUSPIDORS AND THE LIKE.

APPLLCATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1915 1,199,978. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

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SPYROS FRAGOULIS. OF EAST WATEIRTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT APPLICABLE TO CUSPIDORS AND THE LIKE.-

Specification of Letters If atent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,371.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SPYROS FRAGOULIS, a subject of the King of Greece, residing at East \Vatertown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements Applicable to Cuspidors and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanical movements. I have developed it particularly in combination with and for application to a cuspidor having a removable top, the purpose of the movement being to convert a simple depressing movement applied to a lever by ones foot into a movement of the cover in which the cover is first raised a fraction of an inch and is then swung through an angle of about 90 to a position at the side where the cuspidor itself is uncovered; the movement being executed in the reverse direction when the pressure on the lever at the bottom is released. In

this movement the cover, which may have may be spherical so that very little space 7 outside of it is occupied by the cover in effecting this movement. The nmvement, however, is applicable to many other uses and can be applled in various forms, some of which will be mentioned herein.

It is the intention of the present application to cover by suitable expression in the appended claims whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the structure or invention disclosed.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a standard holding the cuspidor and mounting thereon a yoke having upright pieces movable up and down with respect thereto, to which yoke another yoke carrying the cover is hinged. The hinge consists of duplicate parts, one at each arm of the yoke. Referring to one of these parts, a pin on the lower yoke passes through a hole on the upper yoke and thus constitutes the hinge; a pin fixed on the upper yoke close by the h e c nstit tes a ort of c an of which is a portion extending in a generally horizontal direction The edge of the slot is curved on the outer upper corner so that it acts as a cam to deflect the said crank pm when the latter is pushed upward against this corner of the slot. This deflection begins a turning movement of the upper yoke which continues until the crank pin is so far out of line of the movement of the pushing pivot pin (which, below it, is still guided in the vertical part of the slot) as to have exceeded the angle representing the coefiicient of friction between the crank pin and the upper wall of the slot, so that a continuance of the pushing by'the lower pin causes the upper 'pin' to slide farther along laterally until finally, following the curve of the upper side of the slot, it reaches a position laterallybeside the pushing pin. In the reverse direction, the under side of the lateral extension of slot holds the crank pin from being pulled downward when the pivot pin is pulled downward; and the pivot pin as it descends pulls the crank pin along on the under wall of the slot toward the upright part of the slot until it reaches it, the descent of the pivot pin While the crank pin is heldmeanwhile'causing the line of direction between those two to swing around,

- and thus causing, the yoke to swing around,

into the upright position whence it can descend in a straight line through the upright part of the slot, following the pull of the pivot pin. A similar efiect may be obtained by holding the pivot pin stationary, so far as vertical movement is concerned, and by moving the upright standard of the cuspidor up and down, producing in this case the simple effect of swinging the cover yoke through a 90 angle. The construction and operation of this invention, and some of its uses, are more fully explained in the description which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1. shows an elevation in section th o gh the middle, viewing the pa ts side wise, of a cuspidor equipped with mechanism embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same cuspidor taken at 90 from the first and showing the parts of the cover shifting mechanism in endwise view; Fig. 3 is a detail of the same showing certain of the parts in a different position, being an end elevation of the position shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan in section on the line it-4; of Fig. 2 passing through the two pins when they are in the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

The drawings represent a suitable base 10 supporting a casing 11, the open top of which 12 is removable, the two parts 11 and 12 inclosing and concealing from view, under ordinary circumstances, the interior vessel or receptacle 13 which is provided for the reception of sputum. The part 12 may be lifted off of the part 11, the two separating at the joint 14, thus giving access to the interior receptacle and mechanism; and the part 11 may also be removed by separating from the base at the joint 15 if desired. Levers 16 are pivoted at 17 on the under side of the base, their outer ends being depressible and their inner ends engaging underneath the central knob 18 of a yoke 19. Said knob projects downward through a hole 20 in the base and the said yoke preferably rests down on the top of a boss 21 projecting upward from the base around this hole, and is held down there, under ordinary conditions, by a spring 22 within the hollow knob 18. The upper end of this spring presses upward against a beam 23, seen in section in Fig. 1, which is a part of a standard 24 that is securely fastened down upon the base 10 as by screws 25, seen in Fig. 2. Consequently the spring tends to keep the knob 18 downward in the hole 20; and as this knob and hole are cylindrical, the one fitting loosely within the other, the whole interior part of the apparatus is centered thereby and the yoke 19 is lifted whenever the knob 18 is lifted, the standard 2& at the same time resting stationary. Upward yoke-like extensions of this standard 24: are marked 26 and rise at each side of the cuspidor receptacle. Between the arms of the yok is a space Where the receptacle may sit, an opening 27 being provided within which the base of the receptacle may fit, thus centering the receptacle therein, it being removable by lifting. The rigid yoke 26 is one of a series of three yokes, this one pointing upward, the yoke 28 next outside of it pointing downward and the yoke 19 next outside of that pointing upward and being the same which has been previously mentioned, capable of vertical movement with the knob 18 sliding within the hole 20 of the base. The rigid yoke 26 has a slot 30, the shape of Which is seen in Figs. 2 and 3, being very much in the shape of an inverted L with a rounded exterior corner. A pin 31, fast in the lifting yok 19, passes loosely through a cylindrical hole in the upper or cover yoke 28 and projects loosely into the slot 30. This constitutes an axle on which the cover yoke 28 may turn freely. A pin 32 fast in the cover yoke 28 also projects into the slot 30 and is located a little above the hole where the pin 31 passes through the yoke 28. As it has somewhat the function of a crank it is herein referred to as a crank pin. When both pins 31 and 32, are in the vertical portion of the slot 30 a lifting of the yoke 19 raises the yoke 28 rectilinearly, the pin 31 doing the lifting and the pin 32, guided by the slot 30, maintaining the yoke in its upright position. At the upper outer corner of the said L- shape slot that slot is formed with a surface curved or inclined, as at 33, toward the horizontal portion of the slot so that when the pin strikes this part of the slot it is deflected as by a cam action over to the left as viewed in Fig. 3 or Fig. 2. Continued movement of the yoke 19 and pin 31 upward pushes the crank pin 32 farther over out of the line ofmotion of the pin 31, until it is so far out of that line of motion that it slides along on the top part of the edge of the slot, moving laterally or approximately horizontally, while the pin 31 is moving longitudinally of the slot or vertically; and this condition continues until the position illustrated in Fig. 2 is reached where the pin 31 has reached the top of the vertical portion of the slot and the pin 32 stands horizontally beside it in the horizontal portion of the slot. During the execution of this movement the cover yoke 28 was initially raised vertically, and then was swung around to the left, accompanying and in fact turned by the movement of the crank pin 32. In so doing the cover has described a course which approximates the quadrant of a circle. As the receptacle 13 is a segment of a sphere, and the cover yoke 28 is also a segment of a sphere, the effect has been to lift the cover so that it has suflieient clearance and then to swing it around down beside the receptacle, uncovering it completely.

The cover comes to rest with the pin 31 pressed upward against the cam corner of the slot and with the pin 32 pressed against the end of the lateral portion of the slot,

thus preventing the cam from displacing the pin 31 in that direction. The pin 31 is, therefore, in position to descend through the vertical part of the slot whenever the upward pressure upon it is relaxed; and the weight of the part 19, supplemented by the downward pressure of the spring 22, is sufficient to overbalance the weight of the top of the cover acting as a lever around the pin 32, so that this downward movement takes place automatically. While it is be ing executed the pin 32 rolls, or rolls and slides, toward the vertical part of the slot, because the descent of the pin 31 and the pressure downward upon it are sufiicient to walls of the slot should be so shaped that the application of force to the pin 31 in the longitudinal direction of the slot 30, in either direction, will cause the pin; 32 to be propelled either into or out of the lateral portion of that slot, without sticking. When that happens in the downward direction the pin 32 ultimately reaches a position vertically over the pin 31, at which time the cover is vertically over its seat, and then the two pins together descend toward the bottom of the slot 30 until they are arrested by the engagement of the cover settling upon its seat. The latter is illustrated as having a rubber packing ring 34. Because of the peculiar movement described, the motion of the cover with respect thereto is simply toward and from it, and perpendicular to its plane, and has no tendency to dislodge the packing ring by lateral pressure.

When the invention is applied to a cuspidor the spring 22 may be omitted if the balance of weights is such that the action of gravity upon the part 19 and its connected parts is suflicient to serve the same purpose. In any event the normal position of the yoke 19 and its boss 20 is the low position which is illustrated in Fig. 1 and the weight of parts, spring, or other portion acting downward is sufficient to depress the inner ends of the levers 16, these ends remaining in contact with the boss 18. Any number of such levers may be provided according to convenience, projecting on difierent sides of the cuspidor; and when the outer end of any one of them is depressed its inner end raises the yoke 19 and thus uncovers the receptacle by first lifting and then swinging the cover down within the outer casing 11, 12, the receptacle closing itself whenever the pressure is removed.

The simplicity of the invention is apparent, the number of moving parts being very small and those parts being exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction. The slot 30 may be punched and the pins 31 and 32 are set in holes in their respective yokes.

Although herein shown asit may be applied to a cuspidor, the invention may obviously be applied to receptacles used for other purposes. Furthermore, it is not es sential that the turning device be used in pairs in combination with a yoke as herein set forth,-but it may be employed singly, the part 28 being of suitable form to serve any function that may be desired, the parts 26 and 19 being rods, plates, or of any desired shape. Thiswill appear from a consideration of the group of parts illustrated in Fig. 3 and the lower part of Fig. land the parts just around the two pins in Fig. 1, where it is seen that essentially there are three pieces of material, the two outer pieces being movable with respect to each other and the middle piece being loose between the outer pieces; one of the outer pieces having a slot of the peculiar shape specified into which projects a crank pin set in the middle piece and a'pivot pin passing from the other outer piece loosely through the middle piece. WVith this construction, if the slotted piece be rigidly held, a movement of the outer pin piece will first lift and then turn'the middle piece, or move it reversely; while if the other outer pin piece be rigidly held, a movement of the slotted piece will simply turn the middle piece around its pivot, the slotted piece moving idly, except when the middle piece is thus turning. This conversion between rectilinear and a combined rectilinear and turning movement can be utilized wherever it is applicable in mechanic arts. In either case the action stops at 90, when the slots are at right angles to each other.

In order to execute the movement best the wall of the longitudinal part of the slot, which is on the side toward the lat eral extension, should extend as far as the pivot pin travels in its direction, so that it suports that pin to the very extremity of its movement and keeps it in its proper alinement. If this point be safeguarded, it produces a relatively sharp inner corner between the two parts of the slot; but this sharpness can be alleviated by rounding the corner a little, provided the rounding does not reach down far enough to affect the lateral support for the pivot pin. If the contrivance be used with the longitudinal part extending horizontally the action of gravity may be relied upon in place of the cam surface of the outer corner of the slots if the crank pin is to move downward at the end of its longitudinal travel; or the inner corner and its adjacent surfaces can be dispensed with and sole reliance be placed on the operating part may project in any direction from the pin group and for any purpose, as for example, a mere arm used for signaling. And although illustrated with the slotted piece arranged as one of the outer pieces of the group of three elements, it is not necessarily an outer piece; and the specific structure illustrated may be varied in other ways according to the needs or uses to which the designer wishes to put the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions and a cam surface at the outer corner between these portions, adapted to deflect the crank pin from the longitudinal into the lateral portion when the pivot pin is moved in the longitudinal direction in said slot, thereby turning the second element.

2. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions and there being means guiding the crank pin from one slot into the other when the pivot pin travels in the longitudinal portion.

3. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions, the lateral portion of the slot being adapted to swing the crank pin somewhat about the pivot pin when relative travel occurs between the pivot pin and the slotted element while the pivot pin is in the longitudinal part of the slot and the crank pin in the lateral part of the slot.

l. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot inthe third;

and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions, the lateral portion of the slot being adapted to swing the crank pin somewhat about the pivot pin when relative travel occurs between the pivot pin and the slotted element while the pivot pin is in the longitudinal part of the slot and the crank pin in the lateral part of the slot; said slot being long enough for both pins to move in parallel ism therein, the slot and crank pin guiding the crank pin element parallel to the travel of the pivot pin when both pins are moving in the longitudinal portion of the slot.

5. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions and there being means guiding the crank pin from one slot into the other when the pivot pin travels inthe longitudinal portion; the lateral part terminating at such a distance from the longitudinal part as to stop the crank pin when the pivot pin has about reached the said guiding means, thereby maintaining the pivot pin in position to pull the crank pin back to the longitudinal part of the slot.

6. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions and there being means guiding the crank pin from one slot into the other when the pivot pin travels in the longitudinal portion; the lateral parts being not longer than the distance between the two pins centers.

7. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions and there being means guiding the crank pin from one slot into the other when the pivot pin travels in the longitudinal portion; the lateral parts being not longer than the distance between the two pins centers, and the longitudinal part being longer than the dis tance between the two pins centers.

8. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them havthree co-acting elements, one ofthem having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions at an angle to each other, the inner edges of the slot at the corner meeting in a corner close to the limit of travel of the pivot pin, sharp enough to maintain the pivot pin in its proper alinement in the longitudinal part during the initial part of its movement away from the lateral part of the slot.

10. A mechanical movement comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin passing through a journal in the second and a slot in the third; the second being pivoted on said pin and having a crank pin entering said slot in the third; and the third having said slot, formed with longitudinal and lateral portions arranged perpendicularly to each other and having a sharply curved inner and a gently curved outer corner, the longitudinal part having suflicient length for travel of both pins therein.

11. A mechanical movement, comprising three co-acting elements, one of them having a pin projecting through a journal in the second and the second being pivoted on the said pin and having a crank pin; and the third having two surfaces at an angle to each other on which the said two pins ride, the whole being arranged and adapted for the two pins to slide tandem on the one part of said surface, and for the crank pin to move around the angle to the other surface while the pivot pin remains substantially in alinement with the first surface.

12. A mechanical movement, comprising, in combination, an element having an orifice, means to cover it and a supporting yoke with pivot pins and crank pins at its ends; the said element having a part with slots having portions arranged at an angle to each other, into which the crank pins fit; and there being another yoke movable with respect to the first in one direction of the slot, said pivot pins being supported by the second yoke and engaging in said slots; Whereby on motion of the yoke carrying the pivot pins the yoke having the crank pins is moved and is turned upon said pivot pins by its crank pins as guided by said slot.

13. A mechanical movement, comprising, in combination an element having an orifice, means to cover it and a supporting yoke with pivot pins and crank pins at its ends; the said element having a part with slots having portions arranged at an angle to each other, into which the crank pins fit, both pins in the slot traveling for a distance in alinement with one portion of the slot; and there being another yoke movable with respect to the first in one direction of the slot, said pivot pins being supported by the second yoke and engaging in said slots; whereby on motion of the yoke carrying the pivot pins the yoke having the crank pins is moved in alinement with it for a distance and then is turned upon said pivot pins by its crank pins as guided by the other portion of said slot.

14. A mechanical movement, comprising in combination, an element having an orifice, a base supporting said element with its orifice in a horizontal plane, and having under it a central vertical opening; a yoke having a central stud with a vertical sliding bearing therein; pins projecting transversely from the arms of the yoke; another yoke adapted to cover the said orifice, and having holes in its arms through which said pins project as pivots, and also having pins projecting parallel therewith as cranks; there being slots arranged vertically in stationary positions with respect to the base and element, in the same plane with the central opening, said slots having extensions projecting laterally out of said plane at their upper ends; whereby upon elevation of the base yoke said slots and crank pins guide the cover yoke first upward and then around downward, uncov- 'ering the said orifice.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this twenty-fourth day of September, 1915.

SPYROS FRAGOULIS.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH T. BRENNAN, EVERETT E. KENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

